10 Dead in Tianjin Skyscraper Fire

By Justine Lopez

Ten are dead and five others injured after a fire broke out in a high rise building in Tianjin early Friday morning.

The blaze occurred on the 38th floor of a serviced apartment building around 4am. The fire was extinguished at 8:40am.

As of 12pm, 10 people had perished in the fire. Five others are currently being treated for minor injuries.

READ MORE: Fire Kills 19 in Beijing Apartment Building

According to Xinhua, the fire is believed to be caused by “renovation materials." Workers who were renovating the building were among the dead. An investigation is currently underway. However, one person has already been taken into custody.

The blaze comes less than two weeks after a deadly fire killed 19 in the Beijing suburb of Daxing. An investigation found that the fire had been caused by faulty electrical wiring in an “illegal” building. The incident was the catalyst for a 40-day campaign to demolish illegal buildings – which have led to controversial mass evictions of migrants – in the capital.

Whether or not the same move will be made in Tianjin remains to be seen. We'll keep you updated on this story as we learn more.  

[Image via Channel NewsAsia]      

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